The Redline, by Adrian Hyland

Jesse Redpath is acting sergeant in the small country police station of Satellite when a colleague is killed in a traffic incident. But was it an accident or murder and if the latter then why? What follows is a melange of missing people, corruption, shady security officers, a feral child and murder. This is apparently the third outing for Jesse so one would expect her voice to be clearer. She doesn’t ring true as a character and her licence to operate as a lone wolf with little accountability within the police force seems highly unlikely. A large amount of exposition in the early part of the novel is tedious. The geography of the region is confusing, which is a problem as it is fundamental to the plot – it’s a country town on the urban fringe, described as remote but somehow within easy access of Melbourne. The first person style doesn’t lend itself well to the (many) times Jesse is in danger as it makes the stakes low – she is telling the tale so we know she gets through it.

Supergirl (2026), directed by Craig Gillespie

Accompanied by her wayward dog, Kara Zor-El (aka Supergirl) is ‘celebrating’ her 23rd birthday with a bender on red sun planets, where she has no powers and so feels somewhat normal. On one such planet she is drawn into helping Ruthye, a 13 year-old seeking revenge on the brigand who wiped out her family for fun. Kara’s origin story is told in flashbacks that provide relief from the arse-kicking action, which goes on just a little too long and fails to cover a few gaping plot holes. Milly Alcock is great as the prematurely world-weary Kara, ably supported by Eve Ridley as Ruthye, while the talents of Matthieu Schoenaerts are wasted as the chief villain. Jason Momoa has fun playing himself. The look of the film is derivative, especially of Marvel, as well as the Star Wars cantina, but there are some fun gags and the dog is adorable.

Confessions of a 40-something

Heartbroken after a failed business venture and a broken engagement, Nell Stevens returns to the UK after years in the US to try to restart her life. This is tricky, as she is sad and broke and all her friends are busy smug-marrieds with children. Nell’s greatest consolation is her landlord’s dog, which she minds for cheap rent while he is away. Then there is the unexpected friendship of 80-something Cricket, who she meets in her new role as an obituary writer. The title of the book doesn’t make a lot of sense, until you realise it is a more acceptable version of Nell’s podcast - Confessions of a 40-something Fuck Up - which aims to tell it like it is and slowly gathers momentum that adds to her personal and professional recovery. Elements of the plot are improbable, to put it politely, especially the conceit of a mortgage granted to a freelance writer to buy a London flat, but also the entertainment value and wild success of the podcast. This is a tale with its heart in the right place but it all adds up to little more than adult chick lit.

The Summer War, by Naomi Novik

Celia’s adored older brother Argent comes out and leaves the family when she is on the verge of puberty. Feeling abandoned, her hurt and fury triggers her incipient sorcery and she inadvertently curses him to live without love. As she grows up and bitterly regrets her action Celia forges a friendship with her overlooked middle brother, Roric, and they search for a way to reverse it. This involves unravelling the complex politics of their country of Prosper and its uneasy peace with the neighbouring Summer Lands, whose immortal fey inhabitants bring benefits and dangers in equal measure. Novik returns to the realm of legends and fairy tales for this coming-of-age novella that celebrates female ingenuity, caring relationships and forgiveness. Celia is a worthy companion to the heroines of Spinning Silver and Uprooted and it would be good to have another tale that potentially explores her progression as Sorcerer Queen.

The Sheep Detectives (2026), directed by Kyle Balda

George Hardy loves his sheep so much he names them all and reads them whodunnit tales every evening. When he dies suddenly they are determined to use all they have learned from their devoted shepherd to find out what happened, even if it means educating the local copper to do his job. Suspects include the local butcher, a neighbouring shepherd, an irascible innkeeper and George’s long lost daughter. A star-studded cast includes Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson and Julia Louis-Dreyfus; they flock together to bring this shaggy tale to life, providing laughs all the way through. The life lessons and sentimentality towards the end are laid on a bit thick, but overall it’s a clever and entertaining film for all ages.

Limbo (2023), directed by Ivan Sen

A heavily tattooed man with a gun and a drug habit drives into an opal mining town in the middle of nowhere. It is a surprise to find he is a cop assigned to review a 20-year-old missing persons case, when a young Aboriginal girl disappeared, presumed murdered. Local distrust means he makes little headway at first, but his outsider persona and lack of agenda sees him strike some tentative connections. Simon Baker is great as the hard-bitten cop, while Rob Collins and Natasha Wanganeen provide able support as the siblings still living with the tragic consequences of their sister’s unknown fate. This is an uneven film with some odd directorial choices. It is shot in black and white, which adds to the bleak atmosphere of the outback town but little else and there are strange and unnecessary, heavy-handed religious notes throughout. Limbo is an apt name for the state of a family and a community dealing with an unexplained mystery, but a weird name for a town.

A Common Hour, by Sita Walker

Who would be a teacher? Set in a Queensland state high school, the action is packed into the lunch hour - broken into 15 minute segments that are divided into flashbacks of years and decades that delve into the background and motivation of the story’s many and varied characters. These include popular English teacher Paul ‘Bushy’ Bush, his senior students, fellow teachers and the school Head, Freedom Cook. The forest adjoining the school, where much of the lunchtime activity takes place, is almost a character itself. A student with an old grudge uses social media to trigger a crisis that will cause profound change in many lives, especially Bushy’s. Will students and teachers turn and pile on or rally around? Mental health, bullying, burnout, family violence, thwarted relationships, intergenerational trauma and young love – it’s all dealt with over that crowded hour. The time jumps can get a bit much, necessary as they are to uncover the truth of complex relationships. Despite its dark themes a vein of humour underpins this often difficult tale, boosted by a sense of quiet faith in the essential goodness of people and a hope that this can overcome the darkness.